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Massachusetts carpenter prevailing wage, county by county

A carpenter's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage in Massachusetts runs from $53.05 an hour in Hampden County to $92.74 in Norfolk County. The median county is $72.97.

Main carpenter classification in each county, Davis-Bacon wage determinations on SAM.gov, as of October 25, 2026. A contract keeps the wage determination in its bid documents. Modifications published before bid opening apply to it, though one published less than 10 days before can be left out if the agency finds there isn't time to tell bidders (29 CFR 1.6(c)). Checked October 25, 2026.

Suffolk County carpenter: $67.18 per hourFranklin County carpenter: $71.15 per hourPlymouth County carpenter: $81.55 per hourBerkshire County carpenter: $71.15 per hourBristol County carpenter: $81.55 per hourNorfolk County carpenter: $92.74 per hourNantucket County carpenter: $74.78 per hourHampden County carpenter: $53.05 per hourEssex County carpenter: $67.18 per hourWorcester County carpenter: $81.55 per hourHampshire County carpenter: $61.44 per hourDukes County carpenter: $74.78 per hourBarnstable County carpenter: $81.55 per hourMiddlesex County carpenter: $67.18 per hour
$53$67$71$74$81$92Carpenter, main rate, base + fringe per hour. Each shade holds about a fifth of the counties.

How much does a carpenter make on prevailing wage in Massachusetts?

14 counties, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.

  1. Norfolk County1 county$92.74
  2. Barnstable County1 county$81.55
  3. Bristol County1 county$81.55
  4. Plymouth County1 county$81.55
  5. Worcester County1 county$81.55
  6. Dukes County1 county$74.78
  7. Nantucket County1 county$74.78
  8. Berkshire County1 county$71.15
  9. Franklin County1 county$71.15
  10. Essex County1 county$67.18
  11. Middlesex County1 county$67.18
  12. Suffolk County1 county$67.18
  13. Hampshire County1 county$61.44
  14. Hampden County1 county$53.05

Which counties pay which rate

CountiesMain classificationBase + fringeBase
Norfolk CountyCARPENTER (MIDDLESEX (BELMONT, CAMBRIDGE, EVERETT, MALDEN, MEDFORD, SOMERVILLE); NORFOLK (BROOKLINE, DEDHAM, MILTON); AND SUFFOLK)$92.74 $61.19 
Barnstable CountyCARPENTER (BRISTOL (ATTLEBOROUGH, NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH); ESSEX; MIDDLESEX (EXCEPT BELMONT, CAMBRIDGE, EVERETT, MALDEN, MEDFORD, SOMERVILLE); AND NORFOLK (BELLINGHAM, CANTON, FOXBORO, FRANKLIN, MEDFIELD, MEDWAY, MILLIS, NEEDHAM, NORFOLK, NORWOOD, PLAINVILLE, SHARON, WALPOLE, WELLESLEY, WESTWOOD, WRENTHAM))$81.55 $50.10 
Bristol CountyCARPENTERS (INCLUDING DRYWALL HANGING & ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION) (WORCESTER COUNTY (EXCEPT GILBERTVILLE, HARDWICK, WARREN, WEST BROOKFIELD))$81.55 $50.10 
Plymouth CountyCARPENTER (INCLUDES ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION, DRYWALL HANGING, FORM WORK, AND METAL STUD INSTALLATION)$81.55 $50.10 
Worcester CountyCARPENTER (INCLUDES ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION, BATT INSULATION, DRYWALL HANGING, FORM WORK, METAL BUILDING-METAL SIDING/WALL PANELS, METAL STUD INSTALLATION, SCAFFOLD BUILDING, FIREPROOFER, WINDOW AND CURTAIN WALL INSTALLATION)$81.55 $50.10 
Dukes CountyCARPENTER (DUKES; NANTUCKET)$74.78 $46.43 
Nantucket CountyCARPENTER (DUKES; NANTUCKET)$74.78 $46.43 
Berkshire CountyCARPENTER (BERKSHIRE COUNTY)$71.15 $43.33 
Franklin CountyCARPENTER (FRANKLIN COUNTY (ERVING, ORANGE, NORTH ORANGE AND WARWICK))$71.15 $43.33 
Essex CountyCARPENTER (BARNSTABLE; BRISTOL (EXCEPT ATTLEBORO & NORTH ATTLEBORO); AND NORFOLK (AVON, HOLBROOK, RANDOLPH, STOUGHTON) COUNTIES)$67.18 $39.28 
Middlesex CountyCARPENTER (BARNSTABLE; BRISTOL (EXCEPT ATTLEBORO & NORTH ATTLEBORO); AND NORFOLK (AVON, HOLBROOK, RANDOLPH, STOUGHTON) COUNTIES)$67.18 $39.28 
Suffolk CountyCARPENTER (BARNSTABLE; BRISTOL (EXCEPT ATTLEBORO & NORTH ATTLEBORO); AND NORFOLK (AVON, HOLBROOK, RANDOLPH, STOUGHTON) COUNTIES)$67.18 $39.28 
Hampshire CountyCARPENTER, INCLUDES FORM WORK$61.44 $40.64 
Hampden CountyCARPENTER, INCLUDES FORM WORK$53.05 $33.03 

No two counties have identical DOL rates for this trade.

Questions about Massachusetts carpenter pay

What is the carpenter prevailing wage in Middlesex County?

$67.18 an hour: a $39.28 base wage plus $27.90 in fringe benefits, under wage determination MA20260001, modification 1. Overtime and every carpenter classification in Middlesex County.

Does carpenter prevailing wage include fringe benefits?

Yes. In Middlesex County the $67.18 total is a $39.28 base wage plus $27.90 in fringe benefits, about 42% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.

Does carpenter prevailing wage pay overtime in Massachusetts?

Davis-Bacon rates are straight time. On contracts over $100,000, the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act requires 1½ times the basic rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (40 U.S.C. 3702). The fringe is owed for every hour at its straight-time amount.

Do apprentice carpenters get this rate?

Davis-Bacon determinations list journeyworker rates. Apprentices in a program registered with DOL or a recognized state agency can be paid the program's percentage of the rate, within its ratio; anyone else gets the full rate (29 CFR 5.5(a)(4)).

Which county pays carpenters the most in Massachusetts?

Norfolk County, at $92.74 an hour for the main classification. The lowest is Hampden County at $53.05, and the median county is $72.97.